The present invention relates to an improved transfer system for transferring a toner image from a photoreceptor to a copy sheet, but more particularly to a low voltage intermittent contact system using a brush to effect transfer.
With the introduction of small copiers for the low volume end of the copier market, it has become increasingly important to minimize both the cost and the complexity of the copiers. Transfer is a critical step in plain paper xerography. Larger copiers and duplicators presently use transfer systems which use either corona generating devices or electrically biased rollers. With a corona generating device, the copy sheet has a charge deposited on it by the corona generating device. A corona generating device requires high voltages generally in excess of 5000 volts for its operation which generates significant amounts of ozone, especially in the negative mode. Collecting and filtering ozone adds to the cost of the copier as does the cost of the power supply for the corona generating device. Thus, what is needed, is an effective transfer system which is economical, does not require a large power supply, and does not generate excessive ozone.